So long as Marvel is making movies, there will inevitably be discourse from which we will not know freedom. Self-proclaimed goth Nicolas Cage is the latest to offer commentary on the never-ending superhero movie debate of whether the box office-busting, bombastically-expensive MCU instalments count as real art — and he doesn't seem to understand what all the fuss is about.
"Yeah, why do they do that?" the actor asked in a new interview with GQ, referring to the oft-circulated criticisms from legendary directors like Martin Scorsese — who said Marvel films were "not cinema" and likened them to theme parks — and Cage's own uncle Francis Ford Coppola, who most recently quipped that all the MCU movies were based on "one prototype."
"I don't understand the conflict," Cage reiterated. "I don't agree with them on that perception or opinion."
The renowned horse whisperer continued:
Marvel has done a really excellent job of entertaining the whole family. They put a lot of thought into it. I mean, it's definitely had a big progression from when I was doing the first two Ghost Rider movies. Kevin Feige, or whoever is behind that machine, has found a masterful way of weaving the stories together and interconnecting all the characters. What could be wrong with wholesome entertainment that is appealing to the parents and the children, and gives people something to look forward to? I just, I don't see what the issue is.
While the major complaint of the directorial Avengers vs. Marvel is that the MCU leaves little room for indie films, Cage was quick to shut down the notion that he might feel like his smaller, more cerebral projects are in competition with the franchise heavyweights.
"I think that the movies that I make, like Pig or Joe, are not in any kind of conflict with Marvel movies," he said. "I mean, I don't think the Marvel movie had anything to do with the end of the tweener," explaining that "tweener" refers to film made with a budget of $30 to $50 million USD.
Cage added: "I think movies are in good shape. If you look at Power of the Dog, or if you look at Spencer, or any of Megan Ellison's movies. I think that there's still Paul Thomas Anderson."
We also think that there's still Paul Thomas Anderson — and there's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Repeat the soothing words: we may not have much, but we'll always have Nicolas Cage.
Last year, our current resident Spider-Man (with no way home) Tom Holland defended his brethren, saying Marvel movies are "real art."
"Yeah, why do they do that?" the actor asked in a new interview with GQ, referring to the oft-circulated criticisms from legendary directors like Martin Scorsese — who said Marvel films were "not cinema" and likened them to theme parks — and Cage's own uncle Francis Ford Coppola, who most recently quipped that all the MCU movies were based on "one prototype."
"I don't understand the conflict," Cage reiterated. "I don't agree with them on that perception or opinion."
The renowned horse whisperer continued:
Marvel has done a really excellent job of entertaining the whole family. They put a lot of thought into it. I mean, it's definitely had a big progression from when I was doing the first two Ghost Rider movies. Kevin Feige, or whoever is behind that machine, has found a masterful way of weaving the stories together and interconnecting all the characters. What could be wrong with wholesome entertainment that is appealing to the parents and the children, and gives people something to look forward to? I just, I don't see what the issue is.
While the major complaint of the directorial Avengers vs. Marvel is that the MCU leaves little room for indie films, Cage was quick to shut down the notion that he might feel like his smaller, more cerebral projects are in competition with the franchise heavyweights.
"I think that the movies that I make, like Pig or Joe, are not in any kind of conflict with Marvel movies," he said. "I mean, I don't think the Marvel movie had anything to do with the end of the tweener," explaining that "tweener" refers to film made with a budget of $30 to $50 million USD.
Cage added: "I think movies are in good shape. If you look at Power of the Dog, or if you look at Spencer, or any of Megan Ellison's movies. I think that there's still Paul Thomas Anderson."
We also think that there's still Paul Thomas Anderson — and there's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Repeat the soothing words: we may not have much, but we'll always have Nicolas Cage.
Last year, our current resident Spider-Man (with no way home) Tom Holland defended his brethren, saying Marvel movies are "real art."
